Device for setting and holding pins for games



an- 23, 194 c. o. BECK ET AL 2,187,995

DEVICE FOR SETTING AND HQl DING PINS FOR GAMES Filed Jan. 29, 1938 Ja 3mm Cfiesfr Ob gee (W11) re d 39 Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR SETTING AND HOLDING PINS FOR- GAMES Chester 0. Beck and Wilfred H. Degge,

Fresno,

Calif.

Application January 29, 1938, Serial No. 187,697 I a I "'5 clai s, (01. 273-44 a:

Our invention relates to a devicefor setting and holding pins for bowling. It is known that in the game of bowling the object is to dislodge pins which are positioned upright, and aitera i play has been made it is necessary to position the pins for the next player. This usually-is done by hand because the mechanical devices heretofore used for that purpose permit the pin to be moved, when struck with a ball, in one direction only, thereby interfering with some of the elements of the game. 1 The objects we have attained by our invention include the following: r

When one or more of the pins have been disu lodged from an upright position, all that have thus been dislodged can be positioned upright by the player by operatinga lever at the players end of the bowling alley. r

The pins are held uprightby flexible means which permit a movement to the right or to the left or toward the rear, being alimited universal movement. j

The pins are suspended or held in position by flexible means to give the same effect as if the ll pins were positioned upright independently and held in place by gravity.

The same invention and device can be adapted for and used in any game in which pins are stood upright in playing the game.

so The preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawing herewith made a part of this specification, in which Fig. 1 shows a side view of a bowling alley with parts cut away to reduce the length, having the F bowling pins and means for setting them shown.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device omitting therefrom the cables and cable supports.

. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged individual pin with the means for positioning it upright, having parts i cut away to more definitely show the mechanism,

the pin being in an upright position.

Fig. 4 shows the same device disclosed in Fig. 3 except the pin is in a position not upright.

Fig. 5 is a modified form of means for suspend- 5 ing the pin so it is'held in an upright position yieldingly, for playing the game of bowling.

Fig. 6 shows the pin with a fractional stem attached, and a form of sleeve to protect the stem from breaking. a

50 Referring to the drawing, the-alley I0 canbe constructed according to the plans of any well known form. At the end of the alley where the pins are positioned we have provided a supporting platform I I directly over the area of the alley t containing the pins when positioned :for playing.

the following elements.

To the under side of platform I I is a plurality of supports I2, the number and positions depending upon the number and arrangement of the pins to be played. As ten pins are a common number for said game we have formulated our *5 more fully described. Support I2 has a 'iiange 4| thereon adapted to be attached with a bolt to supporting platform I I. At the lower end of support I2 is pivotally attached a plate It which I have shown as circular, having a tangential extension I5. The pivotal connection is designatedgo 45. To this extension is attached a flexible stem I6 carrying the pin H. The arrangement of the parts should be such that pin I! can hang vertically, and the bottom of the pin when hanging vertically should be adjacent to the top suri ace z i of alley Ill. It is noted that the plate and tangential extension functions as alever.

Stem I6 is preferably formed of a tightly wound spring as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so the pin is capable of being knocked to the right, to the left, p

to the back, or to intermediate points. The

spring should be of such tension that normally it is straight and permits the pin to be positioned vertically. It will be noted that whenthe pins are all positioned upright as shown in Fig. 1 and a ball is rolled striking one or more pins, the first result would be to bend stem It in line with the impact of the ball, which in turn would cause the pin and stem to move plate I4 on its'pivotal connection. To hold the pin in the position to o which it has thus been dislodged we have used An expansion spring'23 is anchored at one end to supporting platform II. The other end is attached to plate It at a location so that it will be on one side of the 5 pivotal center of the plate when the pin is in a vertical position, and on the other side of said center when the pin is knocked out of vertical position. A lug I8 limits the movement of plate I4 on its pivot to hold the pin in an upright posltion, byengaging stop I 8A, as shown in'Fig. 3. and in the opposite direction whenpin I7 is knocked out of vertical position and lug I8 engages stop I8B. Stops IBAand I8B are located on a side .of the channel shown as support I2. These-stops i 58 I are more clearly shown in Fig. 3. The spring 23 is strong enough to hold the plate against these stops and likewise to hold the pin in either position it has assumed. The position of the anchorage of spring 23 to plate [4 is such that the normal impact on the pin when struck by the ball or by an adjacent pin will move the plate I4 so that spring 23 crosses the center of the plate.

To position the pins when one or more of the pins have been knocked outof vertical position, we have adapted the following device.

extending therefrom around the periphery of the plate, through the supporting platform I l, and to a lever 24. Lever 24 has a hole '29 through the end thereof through which cable 26 is threaded, said cable having a knot or stop 2! at-the end thereof of sufficient size so it cannot pass through hole 29 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Ari expansion spring 22 is attached to the end of the cable adjacent to lever 24, said expansion spring 22 being anchored at the other end to a support l3 above platform I l, the object of expansion spring 22 being to hold the cable from sagging when the pin is in an upright position. It is noted that when pin I7 is out of vertical position cable 20 is pulled downward with cable stop 26, and to reposition the pin lever 72s is moved upward thus pulling cable 20 upward, and rotating plate l4 so that pin ll assumes a vertical or upright position. Lever 24 is fulcrumed on a pivotal shaft 25, and an operating lever 26 is attached tothe shaft at one end, the other end being connected with a link or connection 21 to a hand lever 28, said hand lever being positioned near the end of the alley used by the players in the game.

As hereinbefore stated, a plurality of pins is used in playing the game. These pins are arranged in parallel rows, the pins of one row being preferably staggered with relation to adjacent rows. Each row has one or 'more pins therein. Pivotal shaft 25 is common for all of the in- .dividual pin assemblies in one row, as are pivotal shafts 24A, 24B and 24C for other rows. Levers 24, 24A, 26B and 246' on shafts 25, 25A, 25B and 250 are pivotally connected with links 30, 3QA and 38B, so that on the operation of hand lever 28 all of the pins not in an upright position are pulled to an upright position by the cables attachedthereto and the cooperating levers. If on the movement of lever'28 any pins are already positioned vertically, lever 24 will move idle as cable 20 will slide through hole 29 until the lever reaches stop 2 l. By manipulating lever 28 therefore, all of the pins not already vertically positioned are positioned vertically.

Inasmuch as in playing the game stem 16 frequently has violent usage, and such usage is adapted to weaken spring itnear the connection with the pin, or where it is attachedrto tangential extension 15, we have invented several optional forms to overcome this weakness. In Fig. 5 is shown a form in which pin ll has a convex seat 3| on which spring it can rest, and a convex spring seat 32cm tangentialextension I5 adapted to receive and hold the other end of spring HE. A cable is attached to convex seat 3| from whence it is threaded through the spring I6 and through a hole 33A in seat 32, thence through a compression spring 36 which is seated in a recess, or hole 33 in tangential extension l5, said cable 34 terminating in a stop 35 which rests against'the end of spring 36. Spring .36

Each plate has a cable 20 attached at one end to the under edge of the periphery of plate Ii'thecableshould be strong enough, and cable 34 short enough to pull the pin ll, spring SA and tangential extension I5 in close alignment.

In Fig. 6 is shown a projection 38 on pin H, which projection telescopes in an end of spring 5 l6. An auxiliary support consists of a sleeve 40 made of strong flexible material, such as rubber, and is made to encase the end of the spring and to be attached to pin l'L'thus reinforcing the end of the spring where it is most apt to weaken or break when in constant use.

Having described our invention we claim as a new and ask for Letters Patent:

1. In combination with a bowling alley for playing a game, a plurality of bowling pins, a 15 frame positioned over one end of the bowling alley, a support for each bowling pin attached to and depending from the frame, a lever pivotally attached at the lower end of the support,

a flexible link connecting the pivotally attached 20, lever with thebowling pin, and adapted to normally hold the pin in a yieldingly fixed relation with the plate, a lug on the lever, a stop adapted to halt the rotation of the plate when the pin is in an upright position, and a stop adapted to 25 limit the rotation of the plate in the opposite direction, yielding means for holding said lever in its rotation when against either of said steps, a cable attached to the under edge of the lever and to extend around the periphery of the lever, 39 and adapted on being pulled to rotate the lever, means adapted to pull the cable, consisting of a shaft, an arm extending from said shaft for each pin or pin support in line with said shaft,- each of said arms being adapted to cooperate with and move one'of said cables, a lever connected with the shaft, a hand lever pivotally mounted adjacent to the alley, and a link connecting the hand lever with the lever on the shaft.

2.-In combination with an alley for playing the 540 game of bowling, a plurality of bowling pins, a frame positioned over one end of the-alley, a support for each bowling pin attached to and depending from the frame, a lever pivotally attached at-the lower end of the support, a flexible :45

link connecting one end 'of the lever'with the bowlingpin and adapted to normally hold the pin ina yieldingly fixed relation'with the lever,

,the pins in an approximately vertical position,

said flexible link comprising a flexible spring, an auxiliary compression spring, the lever having 60 a hole therein adapted to hold said auxiliary compression spring, spring seats on the upper surface of the pin and'on the under surface of the lever,

the spring seats being adapted to receive'tho end of "the flexible spring, a cable attached to the bowling pin and thence threaded through the flexible spring, through the lever, and through the auxiliary spring, said cable having a stop at its free end adapted to bear against theend ofthe auxiliary compression spring, and to slide within the hole in saidlever, said cable and auxiliary 'spring beingfadapted to yieldingly hold the pin, the flexible spring and-"the plate in close alignment. 3. In combination with a bowling alley for ,75

playing the game of bowling, a plurality of bowling pins, a frame positioned over one end of the bowling alley, a support for each bowling pin attached to and depending from the frame, a lever pivotally attached to the lower end of the support, a flexible link connecting the pivotally attached lever with the bowling pin, said flexible link being adapted to normally hold the pin in a yieldingly fixed relation with the lever, a lug on the lever, a stop adapted to engage the lug and to halt the movement of the lever when the pin is in a vertical position, an auxiliary stop adapted to engage the lug and hold the lever when the pin is knocked out of vertical position, yielding means for holding the lever against either of said stops, means for moving the lever so that the pin normally hangs therefrom in a perpendicular position, consisting of a cable attached to the lever, and hand means adapted to move said cable.

4. In a device of the character described for a bowling game, a frame, a plurality of bowling pins, a support for each bowling pin depending from said frame, said supports being arranged in rows approximately parallel with each other, a lever pivotally attached at the lower end of each support, a yielding link connecting the bowling pin with the lever, stops adapted to limit the movement of the lever in either direction, yielding means for holding the lever against either of said stops, a shaft mounted on the frame for each row of pins and supports, said shafts having an arm attached thereto for each lever supporting a bowling pin, a flexible link connecting the arm and the lever, and a hand lever adapted to rock the shaft.

5. In combination with a bowling alley for playing the game of bowling, a plurality of bowling pins, a frame positioned over one end of the bowling alley, a support for each bowling pin attached to and depending from the frame, a lever pivotally attached to the lower end, of the support, a flexible link connecting the pivotally attached lever with the bowling pin, said flexible link being adapted to normally hold the bowling pin in a yieldingly fixed relation with the lever, a lug on the lever, a stop adapted to engage the lug to halt the movement of the lever when the pin is in a vertical position, an auxiliary stop adapted to hold the lever when the pin is knocked out of vertical position, 

